Photographic printing machine



June 1, 1943. w, p BATES 2,320,334

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING MACHINE Filed June 25, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheetv l June1, 1943. w, P BATES 2,320,334

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING MACHINE Patented June l, 1943 j UNIT-ED STATESPATENT OFFICE 2,320,334 rnoroGRAPiuc PmNriNG MAcinNr;

William Page Bates, Lynnfcld, Mass.

Application June 25, 1941, Serial No. 399,621

y (ci. :a-77.5)

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in photographic printingmachines and particularly those of the type in which the work,consisting of the iinage bearing material assembled with the sensitizedsheet to which the image is to be transferred, is exposed to rays oflight by which the image is transferred to the sheet.

The primary object of this invention resides in the provision of meansby which the light employed in printing is varied both in kind accordingto the type of printing to be performed and in amount according to thecharacter and structure of the image to be transferred.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of aprinting machine With batteries of light varying in the length and powerof the light rays emitted from the batteries and meansfor selectivelydetermining the battery to be employed.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of a machinewherein the work is advanced to the printing area by the coaction of acylindrical transparent roller and a belt between which the work is rmlyclamped, the light rays acting on the Work through the roller, andwherein the printing area is defined by an aperture variable in extentso that the period during which the printing is performed may be varied.

These and other objects of the invention will be fully set forth in thefollowing description of engage the side edges of the roller 22 and formcontinuations of the end walls 2|. The roller 22 and bands 23 form aunit which is supported upon the periphery of the wall 2| and isrotatable about such Walls, preferably upon interposed roller bearings24. The end walls 2| are provided with bosses 25 which rest upon and aresecured to the table I6 of the-base or standard I5. A shaft 21 extendsthrough the longitudinal center of the cylinder 20 and is supported atits ends in said bosses 25.

Rotatably carried by the shaft 21 within the cylinder 2|) are a pair ofarcuate shutters 28 and 29, each of which terminates at one end in aplate, and 3|, respectively, provided with a wiper, 32 and 33,respectively, Vof rubber or similar flexible material which bearsagainst the inner surface of the glass roller 22. The plates 3|) and 3|define the aperture 34 through which light passes to perform the desiredprinting. The other ends 35 and 36, respectively, of the shuttersoverlap and are provided on the adjacent surfaces at each edge with gearteeth 31 and 38, respectively. The teeth 31 and 36 mesh with gears 39and 40 xed upon a roll 4| supported in the stationary end walls 2| andprovided at one end with a handle 42. Each shutter 28 and 29 1 ismounted at each side edge on plates 43 and 44,

one embodiment of the invention and in the acmounted at the longitudinalcenter of the cylinder, an endless belt 60 by which the work is clampedagainst the transparent roller 22 of the cylinder, and means foradvancing said belt and rotatingr said cylindrical roller to present thework at the printing position and remove it therefrom.

The housingr comprises a base or standard I5 including a table i6, saidtable being at the desired height for convenience` in operating themachine and serving as a support for a cylinder 20,

and a hood I1, said base and hood substantially enclosing the cylinder.

The cylinder 20 comprises a pair of stationary end walls 2| mounted onthe table |6, a cylindrical roller 22 of glass or suitable transparentmaterial, and a pair of annularbands 23 which or, in battery 41, arclights.

respectively, each plate having a circular opening through which theshaft 21 passes.

Mounted upon the shaft 21 within the shutters 28 and 29 is a block 45 ofany desired material, upon. the opposite faces of which are supportedbatteries 46 and 41 of, lights. The battery 46 may, as here shown,comprise a plurality of standard base frosted, white and clear amberbulbs 48 and 48a arranged alternately or in any other desiredcombination. This battery is particularly adapted to be used inphotographic printing through positive or negative sheets. The battery41 is adapted for blueprinting and is here shown as including aplurality of quartz or ultraviolet bulbs 49. It will be understood,however, that the batteries may consist of other forms of lighting meanssuch as, for example, fluorescent lights Electric current is fed to thebatteries through a cable 50. Suitable means (not shown) are provided bywhich the batteries 46 and 41 are independentlylighted and by whicheither the amber bulbs 48 or the white bulbs 48a or both sets of battery46 are lighted. As shown in the drawings, the face of the block 45carrying the battery 46 is nearer the aperture 34 and is held in suchposition by the engagement of a rod 5| at one end of the shaft with abracket 52. This condition will be reversed by turning the shaft 21through 180 and thus bringing the rod 5| into engagement with a bracket53.

The endless belt by which the work is brought into printing position isprovided along each edge with an endless length of flexible chain 6|having equally spaced pcrforations and is supported upon a plurality ofgears 82 carried by suitably mounted shafts 63. gears 62 mesh with thechains 6| and one shaft '63, the lowest, as shown in Figs. l and 2, ispositively driven by a motor 65 through a sprocket and chain unit 66.The belt travels in the direction indicated by the arrow r'l, firstsubstantially around the cylinder and then over the gears 62. -The bands23 of the cylinder 20 are provided with radially projecting teeth 68which mesh with the chains 8| so that the glass roller 22 of thecylinder is rotated by the belt and in unison therewith. The belt 60 ispreferably laminated, having a main layer 69 of rubber, a facing layer1|) of black cloth adjacent the cylinder and a backing layer 1| of clothor other fabric, and the flexible chain 6| is firmly secured to theedges of the layers by nuts and bolts or other suitable means.

The side walls of thev hood I1 at the iront of the machine are connectedby a plate 15 thus forming a chamber 11 to which access is had through adoor 18. Mounted in the chamber 11 at the inner edge of the plate 16 isa doctor blade or stripper knife 19, the inner edge of which-restsagainst the outer wall 22 of the cylinder. In the base or standard belowthe table I6 is provided a compartment 8|! for rolls of paper and asecond compartment 8| for scraps of paper or other articles.

'I'he operation of the machine as shown in the drawings with the bulbs48 of battery 46 lighted will now be described. The Work consisting of anegative of the image to be Printed and a sensitized sheet of paper orthe like is laid on the facing ayer 10 of the belt as it passes throughthe table I6 to the cylinder 20. The sensitized sheet rests on thefacing and the belt presses the work against the glass roiler 22 of thecylinder, the rubber layer acting to spread the work out smoothlyagainst the cylinder and obviate any wrinkles in the work. As the workpasses below the vaperture 34 the rays from the bulbs 48 of the battery46 print the image upon the sensitized sheet in the usual way. The workis carried around the cylinder to the doctor blade 19 by which it isstripped off and falls into the chamber 11. A mirror image can beobtained by the reflex negative method from. an original printed orwritten on both sides or from an opaque original by placing the materialfacedown upon the emulsion side of the sensitized paper and using theamber bulbs as before. If the work consisted of an image-bearingpositive instead of a negative, the white bulbs 48a of the battery 46are lighted instead of the amber bulbs 48. When blueprinting is to becarried out the shaft 21 is turned 180 to bring the battery 41 directlyabove the aperture and the bulbs 49 of that battery are lighted. Thesize of the aperture is adjusted by turning the roll 4| with the handle42 to space the plates 30 and 3| the desired distance apart.

While the operation of the machine in handling sheets of paper isdescribed. it will be understood that the machine can be used equallywell in handling webs and other material and hence the references tohandling sheets of paper in the specification and claims is expresslynot lim- The teeth of the itative and includes webs as well as othermaterials.

The particular embodiment herein described and set forth in the drawingswas selected for the purpose of illustrating the invention and it willbe understood that the invention is not limited thereto and that otherembodiments thereof may be made without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

l. A photographic printing machine comprising a housing, a work table, acylinder enclosed within said housing and having stationary end wallssupported on said work table, and an outer wall formed by a roller oftransparent material and freely rotatable about said end walls` shuttersdefining a printing aperture at said roller, a shaft within the cylindermounted in said stationary end walls, a pair of batteries carried bysaid shaft within said cylinder, means for manipulating said shaft so asto bring one of said batteries into register with said printingaperture, a belt which coacts with the roller to clamp the worktherebetween and which rotates said roller to advance the work to theprinting aperture and remove it therefrom, and means for driving saidbelt.

2. A photogra-phic printing machine comprising a housing, a work table,a cylinder enclosed within said'housing and having stationary end wallssupported on said work table, and an outer wall formed by a roller oftransparent material and freely rotatable about said end walls, shuttersdefining a printing aperture at said roller, a shaft within the cylindermounted in said stationary end walls, a pair of batteries carried bysaid shaft within said cylinder, means for manipulating said shaft so asto bring one of said batteries into register with said printingaperture, a belt which coacts with the roller to clamp the worktherebetween and which rotates said roller to advance the work to theprinting aperture and remove it therefrom, means for driving said belt,and means for rotating said shaft to bring the other battery in registerwith said aperture.

3. A photographic printing machine comprising a cylinder, the `outerwall of the cylinder being a rollerk which is rotatable and transparent,shutters mounted within said cylinder, which shutters coact to form aprinting aperture at the outer wall thereof, a shaft mounted within saidcylnder'and supportedI at the ends by the end walls of the cylinder, twobatteries mounted on the shaft at opposite ,f` sides thereof, said shaftbeing rotatable to bring either of said batteries in register with theaperture, means for holding the work upon the outer surface of theroller, and means for rotating said roller whereby the work is carriedpast the printing aperture formed by the shutters.

4. A photographic printing machine comprising a cylinder having aprinting aperture at the outer cylindrical wall thereof, a shaft mountedwithin the cylinder and supported at the ends by the end walls of thecylinder, and two batteries mounted on the shaft at opposite sidesthereof, said shaft being rotatable to bring the battery selected intoregister with the aperture.

WILLIAM PAGE BATES.

